Since the start of 2018, we have had many encouraging events, meetings, and gatherings, but Monday evening (October 22) was something special. That night, I truly felt MICA could happen. If you weren’t able to attend, the top five Tully’s developers presented their proposals to the community as well as took questions. All five have included MICA + YTN in their proposals and each one of them brings something different to the table. With that, narrowing the field will be a difficult task for the city. Not only are there five developers willing to help create a space for the arts on Mercer Island, but the community members in attendance were energizing. The room was filled with the chatter of questions, ideas, thoughts, and excitement – positive energy that they too feel this could happen.

What are the next steps going forward? It will take a few weeks for the city to choose the top two proposals. In the meantime, we encourage MI citizens to keep asking those great questions to the parties involved. The City has created a website for feedback, click here. Executive Director Paul Shoemaker and I have said, and continue to say, we will take a phone call and sit down for a coffee, beer (or glass of wine) with anyone who asks. This is our community and I am committed, along with the other staff and board, to seeing a space for the arts come alive.